


A Freeing Cage

by MagpieMorality



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Aromantic Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, M/M, Marriage of Convenience, Patton is meant to get married to Roman, Remus & Roman's unnamed parents (offscreen), brief death mention, internalised arophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:35:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24353719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagpieMorality/pseuds/MagpieMorality
Summary: Not for a prompt!This one is a fantasy universe where Roman is King of the kingdom, and Patton is on his way to get married to him. It's not a love match but Patton is determined to make the most of it and believes it will be his happy ending. Unfortunately he gets kidnapped before he can get to the castle.
Relationships: Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders
Comments: 12
Kudos: 68





	A Freeing Cage

"You'll never keep me!" Patton threw himself dramatically onto the floor by the bed, folding his arms on the plush mattress and burying his face into it as he sobbed. It wasn't fair! He was supposed to be on his way to the palace to get married to his handsome prince now, not stuck in a cell in this grotty cave system dug into the mountain! Nevermind that he didn't actually love Roman _like that_ or that the cell was really just a very nice room and the cave system was a little bit amazing; it wasn't fair!

His happy ending had been _right there_.

"Oh do shut up," the guard muttered, rolling their eyes and pulling the door closed with a slam. The sound faded and left Patton alone to his misery, which he duly reveled in for a good hour or two before it got a bit boring.

So he had a look around. What else were you supposed to do when you were kidnapped by evil bandits and possibly a really mega bad guy? Who else had the sort of wherewithal to have an evil lair like this? Had to be a mega bad guy, Patton was sure.

A mega bad guy with interesting taste. The room was cosy and warm, decorated in rich green and purples, dark black metal accenting the place. The bed looked comfortable and there was even an armchair over by a little fireplace; a wall of books; and a messy, heavy iron desk.

In fact it didn't look anything like a cell, and maybe that was _worse_. Because Patton was engaged to the prince of the kingdom and if this was the room he thought it was then-

"Honey, I'm home," a voice called from through the door, brassy and bright. It made Patton shudder in nervous anticipation, edging far away and grabbing a candlestick to try and defend himself. "Are you decent?"

"Go away! O-or, _no_ , let me go!"

"Which is it?" The voice laughed, as the door handle turned. "Make up your mind now, I don't have all day."

"Let me go!"

There was a sigh and the door finally opened. In walked a stocky man, draped in expensive looking clothes, with shiny brown hair pushed back off his face and an arched eyebrow. "And if I say no? Which I will. It's not like I brought you here just to let you go again, that's a waste of resources and my advisors would complain for _ever_ -"

"Who are you?!" Patton squeaked, brandishing the candlestick when the man moved closer. "Stay back! Or I'll…"

"What are you going to do?" He scoffed. "En _light_ en me?"

Patton had let out a snort of laughter before he could help himself, and the man grinned. "That wasn't funny!"

"You clearly thought so. A pun fan, then? How about this, you put that down, and I'll shed some _light_ on the situation."

_Don't laugh!_

Too late. He giggled, and the man's face lit up. Not in the same way as before, triumphant and slightly smug; now it was more open and awed, studying him more intently. Patton schooled his features into a scowl again as quickly as possible but the damage was done. The man moved further into the room, heading over to the armchair and sitting down with a sigh of relief. 

"That's better. My feet were killing me. Join me, bring the candlestick if you really want, but just stop hovering, it's very stressful."

"Good!" Patton cried, trying to fold his arms. He had to put the candlestick down to do it, but that was because he wanted to, not because he felt less threatened. It was still within reach on the desk, anyway. 

The man made a face and rolled his eyes. "Suit yourself. So you're the provincial prize my brother has been gifted with then, are you?"

Brother. Oh _no_. 

"I, um. N-o?" Patton tried, just in case that would work. From the look he received back it apparently wouldn't. "Well yes, but you make it sound so... unromantic."

Roman's brother cackled, loud enough to make Patton jump and grab the candlestick again, and sharp enough to make his heart beat faster nervously. "Well far be it for me to ruin your little fantasy, but Roman doesn't _do_ romance. I imagine most of this was for appearances only. In fact, that's why you're here."

Patton leaned a little closer. 

"I'm proving a point, you see," the man said, sitting forwards as he grew steadily more passionate. "It's all about appearances for him, he never bothered to try and be _himself_. He kicked _me_ out because he thought that our parents would've wanted him to! Which, I mean they're dead and buried, so why does that even _matter_?! But no, he's so obsessed with maintaining some ridiculous facade of tradition that he'll even doom some poor peasant-"

"Hey!"

"- to a loveless marriage. Oh, I'm sure he'd be friendly enough, probably very sweet and attentive, but he wouldn't love you, not romantically, and he would hate himself for it and make himself miserable! Who does that?! And forcing you to marry into that without telling you first?! That's _too far_." 

Patton clutched his candlestick, wondering if it was all true. Roman's brother certainly seemed to think so. But if anything it just made him all the more determined to get away, get to Roman and _help_ him. 

Why did it feel like this man only wanted the same thing? 

"Anyhow. I'll leave you now, I've _got_ to get some sleep, and we'll talk again tomorrow. Oh and Patton?" The man said as he stood up, looking at Patton with an unreadable expression. "Keep the candlestick if you like. It suits you."

"What?"

"Because the stories don't hold a candle to the real you."

With a wink and a wave he was gone, leaving Patton to his blushing confusion. He had so many things to think about.


End file.
